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Wanted to buy a kayak or solo canoe this year to get into some spots I can't wade. Yak was only $250.00 and way better with wind resistance. Sure, you can load more junk in a canoe, but I've fished most of my life with one rod and whatever lures I can fit in my pockets. So yak it was. 10'4" Patriot Angler.</div>
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My nephew performed a maritime safety check and declared the vessel seaworthy on Saturday. He wanted to christen her the S.S. Apple-Butter (his favorite foodstuff), but I'm not ready to commit to that.</div>
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<img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/DSCF7680.2.jpg" style="width: 465px; height: 700px;" /></div>
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Took her out for sea trials Sunday on Presque Isle Bay. She performed admirably. Stable as a table, hardly any draft, fine tracker, pretty nimble turner, and makes good knots, even in a headwind.</div>
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Would be bad luck not to catch a fish on the first run...well, no curse on this ship, mateys. Quite a bit of slime, though.</div>
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First a quillback took me on a little spin.</div>
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<img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/DSCF7690.2.jpg" style="width: 700px; height: 466px;" /></div>
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Next a wee northern came up and hammered a jerkbait.</div>
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<img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/DSCF7692.2.jpg" style="width: 466px; height: 700px;" /></div>
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Then the real trouble started. Had seen some gar and got a couple lazy follows. Didn't think they were in the mood yet (water too cool), but then one exploded on my rapala. Launched fully out of the water waving that toothy beak like a deranged billfish. Had to take him around the yak 4 times before I could heave him aboard. Luckily, he was well-behaved. 38 inches of angry gar in yer lap can get ugly fast. </div>
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<img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/DSCF7697%20%282%292.jpg" style="width: 700px; height: 466px;" /></div>
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Test run gets an A. Though I wonder what the hell I would've done if that gar was 48 inches!</div>
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Wow, some great fish turned out for the new ship's christening! Great photos.
Thanks, Andy. Yeah, I think it bodes well. Plus, I didn't sink.
A good outing for the S.S. Apple Butter! You make all of us very jealous with how many Quillbacks you catch...
There you go, Dan! You've got the bay down to a science, I'd have never thought Gar could be caught this time of year. Maybe we'll see you cruising around the inlets sometime this year.
See you in the goons, Dive!
That's a good way to break in a yak!
What did you get the quill on?
Eli
Awesome man, congrats on a hugely successful maiden run!! I'd like to know what you got the Quill on too? Great photos and report thanks for sharing!!
Just saw this was on the front page...too cool! My nephew will be psyched.
Graceclaw and Eli: I'm not a Quillback zen master or anything. I just know where they go in the prespawn when they're most aggressive. Catch 'em on the same little spoons (Wob-L-Rite, etc) prespawn carp and even gizzard shad will hit. They're still quillback, though: that's the only one I've landed this year. Had one other flop off at my feet.
Dude I knew that was PIB from the gar pic on the front page hahaha. That's great man. Love PIB, one of my fav places on Earth. You see any spotted gar while you were there? Also, this year I'm trying to organize a group outing of all the PA people who put out there that they fish for more than just 2 stocked fish species. It's amazing how many people are popping up now.
One of my favorite places, too. I'm umbilically connected to PIB. Would probably live out on the peninsula like Joe Root if they'd let me.
Saw some spotted gar spawning in the lagoons last week.
PA outing sounds cool. Definitely a lot more roughfishers out there than you'd think.